WHAT  SOLDIERS  READ 


A.  L.  A.  WAR  SERVICE  Press  Bulletin 

January  26,  1918. 

Library  of  Congress, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Records  kept  of  reading  matter  furnished  to  the  en- 
listed men  by  the  camp  libraries  established  by  the  American 
library  Association  are  not  only  interesting  as  answering  the 
question,  what  soldiers  read,  but  significant  of  purposes 
animat i ng  Ame r i ca 1 s army  of  demo  era cy . 

In  one  day’s  issue  of  books  by  the  American  Library 
Association  camp  library  at  Camp  Heads , the  following  sub- 
jects were  reported:  French  history,  mechanics,  topography, 
and  strategy  in  war,  self-propelled  vehicles,  hand  grenades, 
field  entrenchments,  bridges,  chemistry,  physics,  astronomy, 
geology,  hydraulics,  electricity,  mediaeval  history,  calculus, 
civil  engineering,  geography,  American  history,  surveying, 
materials  of  construction,  general  history,  masonry,  concrete. 
About  three-quarters  of  the  books  taken  out  were  non-fiction. 

Titles  picked  at  random  from  one  page  of  a report 
from  the  American  Library  Association  camp,  library  at  Camp 
Sherman  include:  George  Ade»s  "The  Girl  Proposition”,  Jack 
London’s  "Burning  Daylight",  Tolstoi’s  "Anna  Karenina”,  H.  G. 
Wells’  "The  Soul  of  a Bishop",  Ellis’  "Plattsburg  llanual”  , 
ileadoweroft *s  ”A.  B.  C.  of  Electricity”,  Zerbe’s  "Aeroplanes”, 


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Haweis*  "Ilusic  and  Lorals",  Guizot’s  nHistory  of  Civilization 
in  Europe",  Carlyle’s  "French  Revolution",  Wells’  "Italy, 
France  and  Britain  at  War",  and  Gerard's  "Four  Years  in  Ger- 
many" . 

Some  of  the  men  coming  to  the  camp  libraries  seem  to 
be  having  their  first  experience  of  the  possibilities  of  the 
world  of  books  . Others  of  the  men  apparently  are  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportunity  of  catching  up  on  some  of  the  read- 
ing that,  postponed  until  non,  is  made  possible  to  them.  Bos 
well’s  "Life  of  Johnson",  Bergson’s  "Creative  Evolution",  and 
Gibbon’s  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire",  are  among 
titles  noted  in  the  soldiers’  reading.  Among  the  men  a num- 
ber are  following  various  branches  of  English  literature  under 
the  direction  of  the  camp  librarian. 

Two  general  classes  of  reading  are  shown  by  the  re- 
ports from  the  camp  librarians.  One  of  them  is  recreational, 
and  causes  demand  for  fiction,  poetry",  and  drama.  The  otner 
is  informational  and  causes  demand  for  books  dealing  with  the 
numerous  aspects  of  military  science,  including  artillery, 
aviation,  signaling,  technique  of  drilling,  electricity,  me- 
chanical and  civil  engineering,  transportation,  diet,  food- 
stuffs, roadmaking,  care  of  horses,  making  and  repairing 
equipment,  and  other  topics  relating  to  the  present  business 
of  the  men,  namely,  war.  In  addition,  there  is  much  reading 


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dealing  with  farming,  trades,  occupations,  and  the  forms  of 
activity  which  engaged  the  men  before  they  went  into  camp. 
There  is  much  interest  in  the  study  of  French,  and  particu- 
larly so  in  histories  and  descriptions  of  France.  Books  deal- 
ing with  the  war,  its  causes,  and  the  issues  involved,  and 
narratives  of  personal  experiences  in  the  war,  are  greatly  in 
demand. 

"Camp  Library  Service  has  been  established  for  just 
one  purpose,"  said  Burton  E.  Stevenson,  at  Camp  Sherman  re- 
cently, "that  is  to  help  win  the  war,  and  there  sere  three  ways 
in  which  it  can  help.:  first,  by  helping  to  maintain  the 

morale  of  the  men  by  providing  them  with  interesting  and  en- 
tertaining reading  matter  to  help  tide  over  the  moments  of 
loneliness  and  depression  which  come  to  everyone;  second,  by 
helping  to  educate  them  as  to  the  causes  and  purposes  of  the 
war,  and  make  them  realize  that  they  are  no g fighting  France’s 
fight,  England’s  fight,  or  Italy’s  fight,  but  America’s  fight- 
that  it  is  net  Belgium  or  France  or  England  that  Germany  is 
seeking  to  destroy,  but  the  ideals  and  principles  which  form 
the  very  foundation  stones  of  this  Republic;  and  third,  by 
providing  the  men  with  special  technical  books  along  their 
several  lines,  and  so  making  them  better  and  mere  efficient 
soldiers 


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A , L.  A,  WAR  SERVICE 


press  /BUHg  tin 

Library  of  Congress,  February  2,1918 

Washington,  D.  C. 

"War  Service  Libraries"  are  being  sent  to  all  military 
camps,  forts,  and  posts,  to  naval  bases,  stations,  and  vessels, 
and  to  marine  corps  stations  and  barracks,  by  the  Library  War 
Service  of  the  American  Library  Association, 

Library  buildings  and  trained  librarians  are  provided 
only  for  the  large  camps  but  collections  of  books  and  magazines 
are  available  for  every  group  of  soldiers  and  sailors  no  matter 
how  small,  and  regardless  of  where  they  are  quartered.  Circular 
letters  have  been  sent  out  recently  by  the  A.  L.  A.  War  Service 
headquarters  in  Washington,  to  Y.  M,  C.  A.  secretaries,  offering 
this  service.  The  Naval  Commission  on  Training  Camp  Activities 
has  a man  in  the  field  all  hie  time  making  investigations  and 
reporting  needs.  Chaplain  John  B.  Frazier,  of  the  Navy,  has  re- 
cently sent  out  letters  to  the  men  cn  board  U«  S.  vessels  asking 
them  what  they  want  in  the  way  of  reading  matter. 

As  a result,  thousands  of  books  are  being  requested  every 
week,  and  the  requests  are  always  filled,  if  reasonable.  Miscell- 
aneous books,  fiction,  poetry,  travel,  history  and  general  liter- 
ature are  supplied  from  the  gift  books  that  have  been  collected 
from  the  public  in  all  the  public  and  college  libraries  through- 


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These  are  supplemented  "by  purchases  of  hooks  on  the 
war,  on  automobiles,  aeroplanes,  electricity,  engineering,  navi- 
gation, military  subjects,  mathematics,  the  sciences,  French  lan- 
guage, etc.  A fund  for  this  purpose  was  collected  let  Si  September 
by  the  Association  with  the  cooperation  of  a Library  War  Council 
appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Dr.  Herbert  Putnam,  librarian  of  Congress,  and 
general  director  of  the  Library  War  Service,  says  that  he  wants 
every  soldier  and  sailor  of  the  TJ„  S.  to  know  that  books  will  be 
provided  for  his  entertainment  and  for  serious  study,  as  soon  as 
the  needs  are  made  known.  There  is  no  red  tape  and  there  is  no 
expense . 

The  Association,  he  says,  is  willing  to  work  through 
a public  library,  a Y.  K.  C.  A.,  K.  of  C.,  or  Y.  M.  H,  A.  secretary, 
a chaplain  or  any  other  officer. 


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A.  L.  A.  WAR  SERVICE 


Pr-ss  Bulletin 


Library  of  Congress  February  9/1913 

Washington,  D.  C. 

•Note  to  Librarian:  This  is  not  complete,  nor  very  comprehen- 

sive. Please  add  names,  (especially  those  that  will  be  of  local 
interest),  from  Page  13,  War  Library  Bulletin  No.  4,  and  from  your 
o wn  knov; le  dge . 

Behind  the  American  Library  Association  War  Service  has  been 
put  the  entire  strength  of  all  the  libraries  of  the  country.  Pub- 
lic libraries,  state  library  commissions  and  all  other  organizations 
in  any  way  connected  with  the  library  affairs  have  mobilized  their 
forces  to  bring  books  tc  the  soldiers  and  sailors  during  the  war. 

This  work,  which  is  being  done  under  the  War  Service  Committee 
of  the  A.  L„  A„  has  brought  together  in  a common  cause  the  leading 
men  and  women  of  the  library  world  nearly  all  of  whom  have  been 
lent  by  their  organizations  for  war  service.  The  A.  L.  A.  War 
Service  Committee  comprises  J.  I a Wyer,  Jr. , Director  of  the  New 
York  State  Library,  Chairman;  Edwin  H.  Anderson,  Director  of  the 
New  York  Public  Library;  Dr.  Frank  P.  Kill  , Director  of  the  Brook- 
lyn Public  Library;  Hiss  Gratia  A.  Countryman,  Librarian  of  the 
Minneapolis,  Minn.  Public  Library;  Miss  Eleotra  C.  Boren,  Librarian 
of  the  Dayton,  0.  Public  Library;  Charles  F.  B.  Belden,  Librarian 
of  the  Boston  Public  Library  and  W»  H.  Brett,  Librarian  of  the 
C lev e land  Pub lie  Lib r ary . 

In  every  state  the  members  of  library  commissions  and  officers 
and  employees  of  public  libraries  are  sparing  no  effort  in  helping 
the  A*  L.  Ae  War  Service.  These  workers  serve  without  publicity 
and  in  most  instances  without  pay.  They  receive  no  public  recog- 
nition but  the  valuable  service  they’  arc  rendering  is  appreciated 
by  the  A.  L.  A.  and  by  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who  benefit  by 
their  labor. 


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Many  of  the  most  prominent  librarians  in  the  country  have  been 
and  are  engaged  in  active  duty  at  camp  libraries.  All  of  them  have 
been  lent  to  the  A.  L<  A0  War  Service  by  their  respective  organiza- 
tions . 

W#  H.  Brett,  Librarian  of  the  Cleveland  Public  Library,  and 
former  President  of  the  A.  L.  At , has  just  been  assigned  to  take 
charge  of  the  dispatch  office  at  Newport  News,  Va. , one  of  the  most 
important  posts  in  the  service a Not  only  does  the  Newport  News 
station  contribute  to  the  overseas  service  which  is  growing  in  mag- 
nitude every  day,  but  it  serves  thousands  of  soldiers  and  sailors 
in  the  Norfolk  district*  The  A*  L„  A0  has  been  requested  to  send 
books  to  all  Naval  emd  Marine  Corps  stations,  and  the  sailors  and 
marines  on  foreign  service  now  have  equal  opportunities  with  the 
soldiers  in  America  or  Prance. 

Burton  E.  Stevenson,  noted  author  of  boys*  books  and  books  on 
travel,  is  one  of  the  most  active  workers  in  the  Ac  L.  A.  War  Ser- 
vice. Mr.  Stevenson  is  Librarian  of  the  Public  Library  at  Chilli- 
cothe , 0.  He  organized  the  A.  L.  A*  Camp  Library  at  Camp  Sherman 
and  is  still  in  charge  of  it.  Mr.  Stevenson,  however,  has  been 
called  to  the  A.  L3  A0  War  Service  Headquarters  at  Washington  for 
several  weeks  of  special  work. 

The  Camp  Library  at  Camp  Gordon,  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  is  in 
charge  of  Adam  Strohm,  Librarian  of  the  Detroit  Public  Library. 

Mr.  Strohm  is  a native  of  Sweden  and  a graduate  of  the  University 
of  Upsala.  He  came  to  America  after  graduation  from  the  Univer- 
sity, knowing  no  English.  In  spite  of  this  handicap  he  has  develop- 
ed into  one  of  the  country's  leading  librarians. 


Other  prominent  librarians  engaged  in  War  Service  work  are 
W*  E,  Henry,  Librarian  of  the  University  of  Washington,  at  Seattle, 
who  is  organizing  the  Camp  Library  at  Camp  Fremont,  at  Palo  Alto, 
Cal.,  Louis  J.  Bailey,  Public  Librarian  at  Gary,  Ind. , in  charge 
at-  Camp  Sheridan,  Ala.,  George  T.  Settle,  Librarian  of  the  Louis- 
ville Public  Library,  who  organized  the  Library  at  Camp  Taylor, 

Ky,,  Lloyd  W.  Josselyn,  of  the  Jacksonville  Public  Library,  who 
has  charge  at  Camp  Joins ton,  Florida,  the  school  for  reserve  offi- 
cers in  the  Quartermaster  Corps;  and  Charles  D.  Johnston,  cf  the 
Cossitt  Library  of  Memphis,  Tenn. , at  Forr  Oglethorpe,  Chickamauga 
Park,  Ga* 

All  of  these  men  are  working  without  compensation  from  the 
A.  L.  A.  War  Service, 


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"PLEASE  SEBD  US  SOME  BOOKS" 


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A.  L.  A,  WAR  SERVICE  Press  Bulletin 

February  16,  1918. 

Library  of  Congress, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

"Please  send  ns  some  books.  We  ain't  got  no  books 
at  all.  We  are  regulars  and  get  just  as  lonesome  as  National 
Guards . " 

Thus  wrote  a private  soldier  to  a public  librarian 
in  one  of  the  eastern  states.  The  soldier  was  in  a small 
camp  - if  he  had  been  in  a large  one,  he  would  have  been  able 
to  take  advantage  of  the  library  service  which  the  American 
Library  Association  has  established  in  all  of  the  national  can- 
tonments. The  books  he  asked  for  were  sent  promptly,  and  others 
have  followed  with  regularity.  But,  in  the  first  shipment,  the 
thoughtful  librarian  included  a supply  of  tobacco  and  candy. 

Just  where  he  got  them,  deponent  sayeth  not,  but  at  any  rate 
they  went  forward.  The  response  was  immediate l 

"If  you  ever  done  good  to  a man  you  done  good  to  me" , 
wrote  the  soldier,  "but  please  don't  waste  no  more  space  for 
eats.  Just  send  the  books." 

This  is  merely  one  incidental  bit  of  evidence  as  to 
the  keen  desire  on  the  part  of  the  men  in  the  camps  for  read- 
ing matter  - evidence  which  is  accumulating  daily  at  the  Hoad- 
quarters  of  the  A.  L.  A.  War  Service.  Letters  are  coming  in 
from  every  camp  containing  expressions  of  appreciation  for 
the  work  that  is  being  done. 


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And  this  appreciation  is  not  on  the  part  of  the  men 
alone.  Older  army  officers,  who  were  at  first  inclined  to 
think  the  men  would  not  have  time  for  reading,  nor  inclination 
for  it,  have  changed  their  minds  and  are  cordially  supporting 
the  work  of  the  A.  L.  A.  In  some  of  the  camps  the  Commanding 
General  has  issued  a special  order  calling  attention  to  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  Camp  Library  Service  and  urging  the  men  to  take 
advantage  of  it.  Others  have  written  direct  to  Headquarters 
expressing  their  appreciation  and  willingness  to  be  of  service. 

They  have  come  to  realize  that  the  reading  the  men 
are  doing  is  not  merely  to  help  pass  a leisure  hour,  but  is  in 
great  part  undertaken  with  a direct  desire  for  improvement . 

The  technical  books,  which  the  A.  L.  A,  is  furnishing  in  large 
quantities,  are  designed  to  make  the  men  better  and  more  effi- 
cient soldiers,  and  their  officers  are  quick  to  realize  the  ad- 
vantages they  derive  from  them;  in  fact  in  one  organization  the 
Commanding  Officer  is  keeping  tab  on  the  men  who  use  the  library 
as  a basis  for  selection  for  promotion. 

What  the  A.  L.  A.  is  trying  to  do  is  not  only  to 
furnish  these  technical  books,  as  well  as  the  service  necessary 
to  make  them  available  , but  to  see  that  private  book  owners  who 
wish  to  help  out  by  donating  books,  can  get  their  books  to  the 
camps  promptly  and  surely  . It  is  only  necessary  for  the  donor 
to  deliver  his  gift  to  the  public  library  nearest  at  hand  - the 
library  will  do  the  rest. 


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The  library  service  in  the  larger  camps  is  now  well 
organized,  although  many  more  books  are  needed,  and  this  need 
is  growing  greater  as  the  service  is  extended  overseas  and  to 
the  smallest  camps  and  naval  stations  here.  Books  are  now 
being  delivered  wherever  men  are  engaged  in  the  war  service 
of  their  country,  and  naturally  the  supply  of  books  to  meet 
this  tremendous  demand  must  be  very  great. 

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So  the  public  is  urged  to  give  and  give  and  give, 
not  only  the  books  they  don’t  want,  but  those  they  do,  for  no 
book  is  too  good*.  And  every  book  thus  given  makes  avail- 

able just  so  much  more  of  the  A.  L.  A.  book  fund  to  be  used 
in  the  purchase  of  text  books  and  technical  literature  unob- 
tainable by  gift.  In  almost  every  home  there  are  some  books 
of  lighter  literature  - fiction,  essays,  poetry  - which  can 
well  be  devoted  to  the  needs  of  our  men  in  khaki,  and  plans 
are  under  way  for  a national  campaign  which  will  direct  pub- 
lic attention  to  the  magnitude  of  this  need,  and  make  sure 
that  every  suitable  book  so  given  is  placed  promptly  at  the 


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service  of  our  men. 


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WAFTED  ~ BAEDEKER*  S GUIDEBOOKS  TO  FRANCE. 


A.  L A.  TAR  SERVICE 


Press  Bulletin 


February  23,  1918 


Library  of  Congress, 


Washington,  D.  C, 

American  travelers  of  other  days,  on  whose  book  shelves 
repose  copies  of  the  famous  red-bound  publication  which  was 
their  monitor  and  friend  during  their  European  wanderings,  have 
an  opportunity  to  be  of  great  service  to  their  fellow  Americans 
who  are  soon  also  to  go  to  France,  though  on  a tour  of  duty, 
rather  than  of  pleasure. 


The  men  of  our  national  army  who  are  no?;  in  France,  or 


who  are  soon  to  be  there,  ere  naturally  eager  to  learn  all  they 


can  about  French  life,  French  customs  and  France  in  general 


Nov;here  is  this  information  to  be  found  in  clearer  or  more  con- 
densed form  than  in  the  compact  volumes  compiled  by  the  indefat- 
igable Herr  Karl  Baedeker,  of  Leipsig,  and  turned  out  in  many 
languages  in  his  printing  office  there.  But  the  war,  which 
worked  such  havoc  in  other  ?;ays  in  Germany,  also  stopped  Herr 
Karl*s  presses,  and  even  had  they  kept  revolving  at  their  ac- 
customed speed,  their  product  could  not  have  got  beyond  the 
German  border. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  demand  for  these  guide-books 
during  the  early  years  of  the  war  used  up  the  entire  stock  avail- 


able in  America,  and  the  French  titles,  at  least,  have  passed 


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entirely  out  of  the  market  and  are  nc  longer  procurable. 

Consequently  it  is  up  to  the  thousands  of  people  who  have 
Baedekers  of  their  own,  to  supply  the  needs  of  our  men.  The 
War  Service  of  the  American  Library  Association  is  making  a 
specie,!  appeal  for  copies  of  these  guide-books,  especially  those 
for  northern  France  and  for  Belgium,  although  those  for  southern 
France,  for  Italy,  and  for  other  European  countries,  are  very 
welcome.  There  should  be  ap  ironical  pleasure  in  making  these 
gifts,  since  it.  will  be  in  a certain  sense,  turning  Germany’s 
own  guns  against  her-  At  least  it  will,  be  turning  to  the  serv- 
ice of  the  American  Army,  German  effort  and  research* 

It  is  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world  to  get  these  books 
into  the  hands  of  the  men.  All  that  is  necessary  is  that  they 
should  be  taken  to  the  nearest  public  library,  and  the  librarian 
will  do  the  rest. 

Of  course,  other  books  of  travel  will  be  welcome  — any 
books  that  will  give  our  men  an  insight  into  the  history,  cus- 
toms, traditions,  and  points  of  View  cf  the  gallant  people  with 
whom  they  are  coon  to  be  shoulder-to-shoulder , or  descriptive  of 
their  love 1 y count ry . 


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SCHOOLGIRLS  COLLECT  BOOKS . 

A.  L.  A.  WAR  SERVICE  Press  Bulletin 

Ilarch  2,  1918. 


Library  of  Congress, 


Wa  shi  on,  D . C . 

A most  effective  Poole  collecting  system  has 

/ 

"been  started  in  Washington  by  Frederick  WA  Asliley> 
Superintendent  of  the  reading  room  of  the  Congressional 
Library,  a system  which  seems  certain  to  produce  excel- 
lent results  when  tried  in  other  cities  in  connection 
with  the  American  Library  Association  drive  for  boohs  for 


soldiers  and  sailors. 

4 

As  an  experiment  Hr.  Ashley  fitted  out  his  twelve  - 
year-old  daughter,  Rachel,  with  a small  stock  01  4 page 
leaflets  telling  about  the  drive  and  an  erual  number  of 
typewritten  slips,  reading: 


I shall  be  glad  to  call  on  Saturday, 
February  25rd,  for  any  boohs  that  you  may. wish 
to  give  to  the  soldiers  and  sailers  through 
the  American  Library  Association.  Please  see 
the  leaflet  "Boohs  for  the  soldiers  and  sailors". 


Rachel  Ashley 

Telephone,  Cleveland  150-5912  horrison  Sr., 
Those  she  distributed  on  Thursday  afternoon 


H.U. 

to  the 


neighboring  homes  in  her  block  and  tine 


two  adjoining  blocks 


and  those  on  the  other  side.  Within 

4 

responses  began  to  come  in.  Rachel  s 
morning  with  a child* s "express  wagon” 
pals  to  collect  the  boolzs.  At  noon 


an  hour  the  telephone 
t anted  out  Saturday 
and  two  of  her  small 
she  had  brought  in 


2. 


121  volumes,  almost  all  of  tliom  clo  sire  all  c . They  included 
a new  sot  of  Richard  Harding  Davis  (6  volumes),  a new  set 
of  "Seeing  Europe  with  famous  authors",  (10  volumes),  the 
poems  of  Tennyson,  Lowell  and  Whittier,  novels  by  Jach 

tit  / * 

London,  Meredith  Nicholson,  A.  E.  17.  Mason,  S.  R.  Crochott, 

i 

E.  Philips  Oppenheim;  French  texts  for  language  study;  and 

some  recent  elementary  science. 

Little  Miss  Ashley* s example  is  to  to  followed 

/ / / 

hundreds  of  ether  schoolgirls  in  Washington  and  at  the  A.L.A. 
War  Service  headquarters,  it  is  felt  that  a house  to  house 
campaign  by  enthusiastic  young  people  cannot  fail  to  bring 
in  a heavy- harvest  Cf  books  . 

The  churches  of 'Washington  also  are  lending  valuable 
aid  by  sending  out  notices  to  their  congregations  to  assist 

i 

in  the  drive.  Clerks  in  the  various  Government  departments 
have  been  called  upon  as  well.  Thojr  bring  books  to  their 

i 

offices  whore  they  are  collected  by  team  captains. 

The  date  for  the  nation-wide  campaign  in  most  cities 
are  March  18  - 25,  but  Washington  has  started  early. 


foil  .91 

A- S’/ ay 


GEN.  PERSHING  CALLS  FOR  BOOKS. 


A.  L.  A.  WAR  SERVICE  Press  Bulletin 


March  9,  1918. 

Library  of  Congress, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

By  ordering  that  shipping  space  in  the  amount  of  fifty  tons 
per  month  be  set  aside  by  the  army  transport  service  for  the  ship- 
ment to  France  of  American  Library  Association  books  for  soldiers. 
*C-en.  Pershing  has  given  unmistakable  recognition  to  the  need  of 
reading  matter  for  the  use  of  our  men  in  France. 

Shipping  space  is  extremely  valuable and  Gen.  Pershing 
would  never  have  alloted  so  much  of  it  to  the  American  Library  As- 
sociation if  he  did  not  thoroughly  believe  in  the  value  of  books 
to  fighting  men.  By  setting  aside  fifty  tons  of  shipping  space 
per  month,  he  has  made  it  possible  for  the  American  Library  Asso- 
ciation to  send  to  France  a monthly  average  of  100,000  volumes. 
This  task  the  A,  L.  A.  has  cheerfully  undertaken. 

Already  it  has  in  operation  large  shipping  stations  at 
two  Atlantic  ports  of  embarkation.  To  these  stations  books  will 
be  shipped  from  public  libraries  in  all  sections  of  the  country 
for  transportation  overseas.  Asa  Don  Dickinson  is  in  charge  of 
one  of  these  shipping  stations,  while  William  K.  Brett,  of  Cleve- 
land, is  in  charge  of  the  other.  Representing  the  A#  L.  A.  in 
France  is  Dr.  M.  L.  Raney,  librarian  of  Johns  Hopkins  University, 
to  oversee  the  handling  and  prompt  distribution  of  the  books  when 
they  arrive. 

The  actual  work  of  issuing  the  books  is  being  done  by  army 


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chaplains,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  K.  of  C 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  From  base  hospitals  to  billets  as  near  the  front-line 
trenches  as  possible  books  are  being  placed  in  the  hands  of  our 
fighting  men. 

To  maintain  an  adequate  supply,  the  collection  of  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  books  will  be  necessary.  The  American  Library  As- 
sociation is  buying  by  the  hundreds  of  thousands  text-books  and 
other  serious  books,  for  which  there  is  enormous  demand,  but  it  is 
looking  to  the  public  to  supply  by  gift  the  millions  of  volumes 
of  lighter  literature  — fiction,  poetry,  travel,  etc.  — which 
our  men  must  have. 

In  addition  to  the  overseas  service,  the  American  Library 
Association  must  keep  its  camp  libraries  at  cantonments  supplied 
and  must  also  supply  small  camps,  naval  stations,  naval  vessels 
and  transports  with  books.  Already  nearly  three  hundred  of  these 
are  receiving  the  A.  L.  A.  service. 

To  meet  these  needs  a nation-wide  book-drive  will  start  on 
March  18,  directed  by  the  A.  L.  A.  Library  War  Service,  and  with 
every  Public  Library  co-operating.  Churches,  schools  and  patriotic 
societies  of  all  kinds  have  signified  their  willingness  to  help. 
Thousands  of  girls  and  boys  are  being  mobilized  to  collect  books 
from  householders  who  are  too  busy  to  take  them  to  public  libraries 
and  every  other  means  will  be  used  to  make  the  giving  of  books 
easy.  Two  million  books  is  the  goal  set,  but  with  public  interest 
really  aroused,  it  should  be  far  exceeded. 


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WHAT  BOOKS  HEM  TO  OUR  FIGHTING  MEN. 


Library  War  Service, 

Library  of  Congress,  Press  Bulletin, 

Washington,  D.  C.  March  16,  1918. 

Do  soldiers  and  sailors  have  tine  to  read  books?  This 
question  is  answered  emphatically  in  the  affirmative  by  Raymond  B.  Fos- 
dick,  Chairman  of  the  War  and  Navy.  Departments  Commission  on  Training  Camp 
Activities,  in  a statement  commenting  on  the  work  of  the  American  Library 
Association  War  Service. 

Working  in’ conjunction  with  the  Commission  of  which  Mr. 
Fosdick  is  the  head,  the  A,  L.  A.  War  Service  already  has  sent  700,000 
books  to  soldiers  and  sailors  in  camps  and  cantonments,  in  France  and  on 
the  seas.  It  is  operating  its  own  libraries  in  37'Camps»  Donors  of’books' 
have  only  to  turn  them  over  to  the  nearest  public  library  and  the  A.  L«  A, 
sees  that  they  are  placed  in  the  hands  of  soldiers  and  sailors. 

"People  have  so  long  disassociated  the  fighting  man  from 
his  brother  who  finds  pleasure  in  sheltered  adventure  between  the  cover 
of  books"  says  Mr,  Fosdick,  "that  it  comes  rather  as  a new  conception  to 
realize  the  unmistakable  amount  which  reading ’matter  contributes  to  the 
comfort  and  content  of  the  soldier  and  sail  or, " 

"During  the  summer  of  1916,  I was  traveling  through  New 
Mexico  where  our  troops  were  then  stationed.  The  need  for  somethin-;,  anyr 
thing  to  read  had  become  so  acute '.that  at  every  stop  the  train  was  boarded 
by  throngs  of  soldiers  who  went  up  and  dorm  the  aisles  begging  the  passen- 
gers for  magazines  and  books.  Again,  immediately  after  our  entrance  into 
the  war,  when  there  were  no  books  on  transports  because  of  the  limit  on 
equipment  the  men  could  carry,  one  of  our  transports  was  held  up  two  weeks 
off  the  coast  of  Europe .The  hunger  of  the  men  for  reading  matter  was  keen 
and  no  relief  was  possible."  •. 

"These  conditions  are  now  being  done  away  with  through  the 
activity  of  the  American  Library  Association,  It  is  placing  books,  magazines, 
and  papers  on  transports  and  at  all  points  where  men  in  uniform  gather. 
Special  attention  is  of  course  being  given  to  cantonments  and  naval  stations 
where  the  men  have  a certain  amoun  t of  time  to  themselves  each  day  and 
where  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons  and  Sundays  are  usually  holidays'.’ 

The  men  read  every  kind  of  writing,  from  scientific  books  to  joke  papers, 
and,  judging  from  the  largo  and  various  demands made  on  the  carp  libraries, 
an  appreciable  part  of  the  soldiers'  and  sailors'  leisure ’tine  is  being 
spent  with  some  old  or  new  found  friend  among  the  authors," 


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THE  NEW  HABIT  IN  BOOKS. 


Library  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress, 


Press  Bulletin 
March  23,  1918. 


Washington,  D.  C. 

A new  national  habit  is  in  process  of  formation — a new  habit 

in  books. 

The  American  people  already  have  the  book-buying  habit;  the 
Library  War  Service  of  the  American  Library  Association  is  striving  to 

inculcate  a bcok-giving  habit--  the  habit  of  turning  over  for  the  use 

• -■ 1 

of  our  soldiers  and  sailors  all  books,  as  soon  as  they  are  read. 

The  success  of  the  nation-wide  drive  for  book's  during  the  week 
of  March  18th  proves  that  this  effort  is  bearing  fruit,  and  that  the  pub- 
lic is  waking  up  to  the  tremendous  need  of  good  books  in  our  camps,  both 
in  this  country  and  overseas. 

Evidence  of  this  need  continues  to  pile  up.  For  example,  a lieu- 
tenant with  a negro  stevedore  regiment  at  a French  port,  appeals  for  a 
thousand  books,  to  keep  his  men  occupied  in  their  leisure  hours,  which  are 
now  worse  than  wasted. 

"These  men  are  only  a few  months  from  cotton  fields  to  khaki," 
ho  writes.  "They  are  among  a strange  people  who  speak  a language  unintel- 
ligible to  them.  Not  at  any  time  in  my  life  have  I been  so  made  to  realize 
the  meaning  of  the  expression  ’thirsting  for  knowledge’.  By  begging,  bor- 
rowing and  buying  I have  corralled  all  the  English  books  in  the  vicinity, 
and  I have  112  books  for  3CC0  men.  These  books  are  all  in  use  seven  days 
in  the  week.  We  need  hundreds  more." 


- - * . 


JL 


And  the  Library  War  Service  will  see  that  he  gets  them  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment, 

"The  town  in  which  we  are  stationed  is  very  small 3"  writes  a man 
in  Franco  to  his  sister  in  Washington,  "and  there  is  not  much  to  draw  you' 
down  town  of  an  evening,  so  I have  read  most  of  the  time  since  I have  been 
here  . In  fact,  I have  done  more  reading  since  I have  been  hero,  than  I have 
since  I left  college.  There  is  a library  of  about  200  books  at  the  Y,  M.  C.A.1' 

It  is  in  the  Y,  M,  C,  A.  and  similar  recreational  buildings  that 
the  books  sent  across  by  the  Library  War  Service  are  being  placed. 

Another  man  tells  how  a copy  of  an  0.  Henry  book  was  torn  into 
sections,  a story  to  each, 

"The  original  owner  of  the  volume  was  selected  to  serve  as  Section 
Librarian,"  he  goes  on,  "We  pored  over  those  stories  until  the  printing  ac- 
tually wore  off  the  pages," 

The  books  already  collected  will  form  the  nuclous  of  libraries  in 
every  post  and  fort  and  training  camp  where  our  soldiers  and  sailors  are 
stationed  - in  America  and  France,  But  the  demand  is  unlimited;  the  wastage 
will  be  very  great;  constant  replenishment  will  be  necessary.  So  the  campaign 
for  bocks  is  not  for  a week  or  a month,  but  for  the  duration  of  the  war.  Book- 
gjjving  must  become  a habit. 

Fortunately  to  give  is  easy  — books  need  only  to  be  taken  to  the 


nearest  public  library--The  Librarian  will  do  the  rest  I 


• '\  ' 


. . 


f 


. 


• • 


. . 


. 


I...  • 


'in.H 

S~l % X. 


LIBRARY  WAR  SERVICE, 
Library”  of  Congress, 
Wa shingt on,  D . 0 . 


Press  Bulletin 
April  6,  1918. 


What  do  the  soldiers  read? 


New  light  has  been  thrown  upon  this  question  by  a 


resolution  adopted  at  a recent  conference  of  camp  librarians  at  Waco, 
Texas.  These  men  are  representatives  of  the  American  Library  Associa- 
tion, and  are  presumably  experienced,  both  in  general  public  library 
work,&3d  also  in  the  new  camp  libraries  over  which  they  now  have  charge. 


By  resolution  these  men  called  upon  the  people  of 


the  United  States  to  give,  through  the  one-cent  stamp  arrangement,  more 
of  the  good  magazines.  They  specifically  named  Punch,  Judge,  Life,  Popu- 
lar Science  Monthly,  Popular  Mechanics,  Scientific ’American,  Atlantic 
Monthly,  Harper's  Magazine,  Scribner's  and  Century. 


■ ks  a part  of  it n program  of  supplying  reading  matter 


to  American  sol  liers  and  sailors,  the  American  Library  Association  is 
urging  readers  of  these  and  other  magazines  of  a similar  character  to 
get  the  habit  of  passing  on  their  copies  as  soon  as  they  have  been  read. 
Numbers  more  than  two  months  old  are  not  wanted,  and  only  nerveto  congest 
t ransportat ion,  but  new  ones  are  needed  in  great  quantities,  all  the  time. 


All  that  is  necessary  i3  to  put  a one  cent  stamp  on 


the  magazine  and  hand  it  to  a United  States  Post  Office  employee.  It 
should  not  be  addressed  or  even  wrapped.  The  Post  Office  authorities 
look  after  the  distribution  to  the  various  camps. 


150 


* ■: 


■ 

\ 


> • ■ 

"■  . . 

" . " ' 

r.  c (T'j 

■ ■ 

. " . ‘X. 


A0  L.  A«  War  Service , 
Library  cf  Congress, 
Wa  ahingt  on,  D,  C « 


Press  Bulletin 
April  6,  1918. 


Books  collected  for  soldiers  and  sailors  during 
the  intensive  book  campaign  of  the  American  Library  Association  now 
nunber  one  million  three  hundred  thousand  volumes  according  to  re- 
ports made  by  the  State  Agencies.  Many  states  have  not  reported  and 
none  of  the  reports  is  complete e It  is  estimated  that  the  total  col- 
lection v/sll  be  at  least  2 5 500,000  when  the  reports  are  all  inc 
The  collection  in  this  city  has  reached  the  total  of 

volume  So 

Word  has  gone  out  that  the  campaign  is  to  continue  in- 
definitely. People  are  being  asked  to  get  the  habit  of  turning  in 
to  the  public  libraries,  for  the  soldiers  and  sailors, the  new  books 
as  scon  as  they  have  beeh  readc 


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APR  2 


THE  VQLU¥" FERS 


By  Rupert  Hughes 

(Pell  known  American  Author  and  playwright) 

Captain  of  Infantry,  U*  S*  N.  A. 

Everything  that  has  been  said  or  that  could  be  said  in 
praise  of  the  value,  the  comfort  and  the  charm  of  books  may  be  safe- 
ly multiplied  to  represent  their  importance  to  soldiers. 

Soldiers  have  long  hours  of  fatigue,  loneliness  and  discom- 
fort. Books  enable  them  to  take  distant  journeys  without  leaving  their 
posts;  Books  rest  and  refresh  their  souls  while  their  bodies  repose; 
books  make  music  fcr  them  without  noise,  tell  them  stories  and  give 
them  new  horizons. 

A book  is  that  most  useful  kind  of  friend  who  talks  only  on 
request  ancl  be  made  to  shut  up  without  hurting  his  feeling  s. 

Almost  any  kind  of  book  is  better  than  no  book  at  all.  The 
soldiers  in  Libby  Prison  read  two  old  grammars  until  they  were  worn 
to  shreds.  Some  men  want  detective  stories  and  some  men  want  tragedies. 


Anybody  who  has  ever  waited  for  a railroad  train  in  a railroad  station 


and  has  read  the  advertisements  and  even  the  time  tables  over  and  over, 
can  understand  the  help  of  the  printed  word.  Soldiers  ar~  generally 
waiting  for  a late  train.  They  wait  not  hours,  but  days,  nights,  weeks, 
months. 


Thero  are  so  many  soldiers  that  there  is  no  danger  of  an  over- 
supp  ly  of  reading  matter.  Each  book  will  be  read  by  a dozen  or  a hun- 
dred men,  and  each  man  will  need  a hundred  books  to  while  away  his  time. 

Books  are  letters  from  home  and  from  strange  countries  written 
by  the  best  letter  writers 

You  may  not  be  able  to  serve  in  the  firing  line,  but  you  can 
go  thero  a3  a volunteer.  Send  the  books  you  like  best.  They  will  re- 
present you  at  the  front.  Books  '.re  reinforcement s. 


Press  Bulletin,  April  20,  1918. 

Library  V/ar  Service,  Libr-.ry  of  Congress,  P-.shingt on,  D.C. 


, eclair  . rl  ' j 

■ ' . 

■ : • - 

. ' • 

■ 

. ' ' 

•-£  • O’  f'  >X *3  I'.-.j  : o.  iX&ri  ••  ; f v b v iv  » 


■ : 

- • 


07,1.41 

A'i’/Sx 


THREE  MILLION  BOCKS  FOR  SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS. 

The  American  people  gave  over  three  million  books  to  the  soldiers  and 
sailors  in  the  recent  book  drive  conducted  by  the  American  Library  Association . 
The  returns  are  not  complete,  Increasing  totals  are  being  reported  from  every 
state*  The  campaign  refuses  to  stop. 

The  total  figure  far  exceeds  all  expectat ions  of  all  librarians,  Ano. 
the  high  quality  of  the  gift  book's  is  likewise  a surprise.  Apparently  the  read- 
ing public  has  awakened  to  the  desirability  ah  need  of  supplying  good  reading 
matter  to  our  men  in  training. 

The  State  of  Mew  York  reports  587,292  books  collected;  Ohio  22/6,260; 

New  Jersey  198,403;  Pennsylvania  188,760;  Massachusetts  154,763;  and  Illi- 
nois 145,005.  Among  the  cities  New  York  (including  Brooklyn  and  boroughs) 
led  with  354,733  followed  by  Chicago  and  Cleveland  with  80 5 00 v each,  and 
Pittsburgh  76,070  volumes.  Several  of  the  western  states  and  many  southern 
cities'exceededtheir  quotas,  Wyoming  reports  14,396  and  Nashvxlle,  Tenn., 
48,794. 

An  indefatigable  statistician  figures  that  the  total  collection  will 
furnish  over  900,000,000  pages  of  printed  matter,  27,000,000,000  lines  oi 
type,  and  270,000,0^0,000  words  for  the  men  in  the  camp,  naval  station  and 
hospital  libraries.  (No  estimate  upon  the  total  number  of  bright  ideas  and 

restful  hours  to  be  gained). 

These  gift  books  comprise  a library  one  third  larger  than  the  Library 
of  Congress  and  more  than  twice  the  size  of  the  New  York  Public  Library.  If 
placed  end  to  end  they  would  mab  a continuous  line  of  good  literature  from 
London  across  the  charnel  through  Paris  to  the  front  line  trenches;  or,  if 
piled  together  in  a single  column,  they  would  reach  a height  625  times  that 
of  the  Washington  Monument, 

But  colu  mns  and  monuments  of  books  cannot  long  withstand  army  and 
navy  usage.  Books  soon  wear  out  in  camp  or  on  deck.  The  American  public  still 
has  an  opportunity  t a "help  make  better  soldiers  out  of  the  men  and  make  bet- 
ter men  out  of  the  so!diers> "bj/  giving  good  bocks. 


A.  L.  A.  Far  Service 
Library  of  C-ongres3 
Washington,  D,  C. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  4,  1918. 


• 

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IMPERATIVE  HEEL  OP  MAGAZINES, 


Telegrams  from  camps  are  constantly  received 
at  A. L. A . . Library  War  Service  Headquarters,  stating, 
"Imperative  need  of  magazines.  Can’t  we  get  more 
Burleson  Magazines  here?" 


The  American  people  are  essentially  magazine  read- 
ers. Thousands  of  periodicals  are  read  every  week  in 
American  homes,  on  trains,  in  offices,  and  street-dars, 
and.  then  thrown  away. 

Soldiers  and  sailors  have  many  leisure  hours  waiting 
for  trains,  after  mess  at  night,  on  transports,  Behind 
the  front  lines,  when  magazines  which  are  easily  read, 
would  relieve  loneliness,  fatigue  and  anxiety. 

The  magazines  specially  needed  are  Punch,  Judge,  Life, 
Popular  Mechanics,  Popular  Science  Monthly,  Scientific  Am- 
erican, Atlantic  Monthly,  Harper’s  Magazine,  Scribner's,  Cenvr  n.  - . 
Century,  and  others  of  this  character,  not  more  than  two 
months  old.  Monthly  story  magazines,  of  more  than  transient 
interest,  are  especially  desired. 

The  U. S .Post office  Department  has  made  it  easy  to  send 
them  to  the  boys.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  put  a one  cent 
stamp  on  the  magazines-  no  address  - no  wrapping  - end. 
mail  it.  Uncle  Sam  will  do  the  rest. 


A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington, T . C . 


B. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  18,191ft. 


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BOOKS  IN  FOREIGH  LANGUAGES  NEEDED 


ALMOST  IMPOSSIBLE  TO  BUY  THEM. 

The  soldiers  need  books  in  foreign  languages, 
and  such  books  are  becoming  scarce  in  America.  It  is  almost 
impossible  to  buy  them  since  the  War  has  held  up  shipments 
from  Europe. 

Thousands  of  the  men  in  training  in  U.S.  camps 
are  foreigners,",  with  little  or  no  ability  to  read  English, 
and  the  A.L.A.  Camp  librarians  wish  to  supply  them  with  books 
they  can  read.  A recent  census  of  Camp  Devens,  at  Ayer,  Mass., 
given  in  the  Arne r i c an  Leader  magazine,  shows  40  different  lan- 
guages in  use,  ranging  from  French  and  Italian  in  the  majority, 
to  Maltese,  Egyptian,  and  Gaelic.  Americanization  of  these  men 
is  taking  place  through  their  camp  training  and  classes  in  Eng- 
lish, and  is  simplified  if  their  confidence  can  be  gained  through 
the  pleasure  given  them  in  books  of  their  own  language. 

Foreign  books  or  papers,  in  good  condition,  will  be 
welcomed  at  the  nearest  public  library  and  reported  to  Washing- 
ton headquarters. 

A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington, D. C . 


C. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  18,  1918. 


e .i 

,'i  rrsn^i^Tol  nF 

' 

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. 

. 

" 


YOUR  BAEDEKER ’ S GUIDEBOOKS  ARE  NEEDED 


EVERY  TRANSPORT  MUST  BE  SUPPLIED. 

A complete  set  of  Baedeker&s  guidebooks  to  the 
countries  of  western  Europe  should,  be  placed  on  every 
transport  sailing  from  this  country, , according  to  the 
request  received  by  the  A. L. A, Library  War  Service. 

No  longer  can  these  guidebooks  be  used  as  kino.ly 
conductors  to  the  best  hotels  and  pensions,  art  galleries 
and  cathedials,  or  as  suggestions  for  si^ht- seeing  trips 
and  soj  ournings , They  are  needed  now  TO  HEIR  WT N TnE  WAR,  BY 
giving  officers  and  men  detailed  information  that  will  enable 
them  to  adapt  themselves  most  readily  to  their  new  environ- 
ments, 

"Americans  should  withhold  none  of  their  possessions 

that  will  help . our  boys"  said  one  woman,  when  bringing  to 

the  library  her  treasured  and  well  travelled  volumes.  Now 
t o 

is  the  time  commandeer  these  idle  books  and  give  them  a 
chance  for  service  never  anticipated  when  they  were  purchased. 

Many  of  these  are  not  for  sale  in  this  country  now  and 
they  must  be  obtained  from  private  owners,  or  the  needs  of  the 
boys  on  the  transports  will  not  be  met. 

The  guidebooks  should  be  taken  to  the  nearest  public  1 
library  at  once.  They  will  be  sent  to  an  A.L.A.  Dispatch 
office  and  placed  on  a transport  or  sent  to  a camp,  a,nd  will 
help  to  win  the  war. 


A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington, D. C . 


A. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  18.  1918. 


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IMPERATIVE  MEED  OP  MAGAZINES. 

Teleprams  from  camps  are  constantly  received 
at  A. L, A , . Library  War  Service  Headquarters,  stating, - 
"Imperative  need  of  magazines.  Can't  we  get  more 
Burleson  Magazines  here?" 

The  American  people  are  essentially  magazine  read- 
ers. Thousands  of  periodicals  are  read  every  week  in 
American  homes,  on  trains,  in  offices,  and  street -bars, 
and  then  thrown  away. 

Soldiers  and  sailors  have  many  leisure  hours  waiting 
for  trains,  after  mess  at  night,  on  transports,  "behind 
the  front  lines,  when  magazines  which  are  easily  read, 
would  relieve  loneliness,  fatigue  and  anxiety. 

The  magazines  specially  needed,  are  Punch,  Judge,  Life, 
Popular  Mechanics,  Popular  Science  Monthly,  Scientific  Am- 
erican, Atlantic  Monthly,  Harper's  Magazine,  Scribner's,  Cent 
Century,  and  others  of ' this  character,  not  more  than  two 
months  old.  Monthly  story  magazines,  of  more  than  transient 
interest,  are  especially  desired. 

The  U. S .Post office  Department  has  made  it  easy  to  send 
them  to  the  boys.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  put  a one  cent 
stamp  on  the  magazines-  no  address  - no  wrapping  - and 
mail  it.  Uncle  Sam  will  do  the  rest. 


A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington, P. C . 


3. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  18, 19 IS. 


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.^OOKS  IN  FOREIGH  LANGUAGES  NEEDED 


I 


ALMOST  IMPOSSIBLE  TO  BUY  THEM . 

The  soldiers  need  "books  in  foreign  languages, 
and  such  books  are  becoming  scarce  in  America.  It  is  almost 
impossible  to  buy  them  since  the  War  has  held  up  shipments 
from  Europe. 

Thousands  of  the  men  in  training  in  U.S.  camps 

• -•  > v - ■ * * ■ 
are  foreigners*,  with  little  or  no  ability  to  read  English, 

and  the  A.L.A.  Camp  librarians  wish  to  supply  them  with  books 
they  can  read.  A recent  census  of  Camp  Devens,  at  Ayer,  Mass., 
given  in  the  Arne r i car.  Lea d e r magazine,  shows  4b  different  lan- 
guages in  use,  ranging  from  French  and  Italian  in  the  majority, 
to  Maltese,  Egyptian,  and  Gaelic.  Americanization  of  these  men 
is  taking  place  through  their  camp  training  and  classes  in  Eng- 
lish, and  is  simplified  if  their  confidence  can  be  gained  through 
the  pleasure  given  them  in  books  of  their  own  language. 

Foreign  books  or  papers,  in  good  condition,  will  be 
welcomed  at  the  nearest  public  library  and  reported  to  Washing- 
ton headquarters. 

A.L.A.  War  Service 

Library  of  Congress  Press  Bulletin 

Washington, D. 0 . 0.  May  18,  1918. 


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MEXICAN  BORDER  POSTS  GET  BOOKS. 


Two  traveling  library  systems  will  be  established  by  the 
Library  War  Service  of  the  American  Library  Association  for  the 
troops  alongi  the  Mexican  Border.  Miss  Ethel  McCollough,  librarian 
at  Evansville,  Indiana,  arrived  in  El  Paso  on  May  10  to  organize 
and  manage  one  of  these  traveling  library  systems. 

ihe  territory  to  be  covered  by  this  system,  which  has  its 
Headquar  ters  in  El  Paso,  will  be  from  the  vicinity  of  Deming,  New 
Mexico,  to  and  including  the  "Big  Bend"  District, 

Miss  McCollough  is  a graduate  of  the  New  York  State  Library 
School  and  has  wide  experience  in  public  library  and  state  library 
commission  work. 

ihe  eastern  part  of  the  Border  Service,  with  Headquarters  at 
tne  San  Antonio  Public  Library,  is  in  charge  of  Miss  Harriet  C. 
Long,  librarian  of  the  Brumback  Library,  Van  Wert,  Ohi o . . L50I ss 
Long  is  exceptionally  fitted  for  this  work  because  of  her  expe- 
rience in  county  library  work  in  California  and  Ohio. 

Traveling  library  boxes  will  be  built  and  filled  with  books 
about  the  war,  books  on  military  subjects,  and  general  reading, 
and  will  be  sent  out  to  the  various  posts  and  stations  all  along 
tne  border,  Ihe  boxes  will  contain  perhaps  only  50  volumes  each, 
out  they  will  be  exchanged  between  different  posts  from  time  to 
time  so  that  in  the  course  of  a few  months  several  hundred  dif- 
ferent books  will  be  made  available  to  every  soldier  along  the 
border. 

Ihe  plan  followed  in  the  organization  and  development  of 
this  Border  Service  is  ©ne  which  was  recommended  by  Mr.  Chalmers 
Hadley,  librarian  of  tne  Denver  Public  Library,  after  his  tho- 
rough investigation  of  conditions  during  the  month  of  April. 


A.L.A,  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.C. 


Press  Bulletin 
May  25,  1918. 


where  ARE  THE  3,000,0 no  BOOKS  GOING? 


In  the  March  campaign  conducted  by  the  American  Library 
Association  to  obtain  books  for  the  men  in  uniform,  over  3,000,000 
books  were  donated  by  tne  American  people.  The  natural  question  . 
arises  as  to  the  points  of  distribution  to  which  these  books  are 
being  sent. 

Eor  the  seven  months  period  ending  May  20,  the  Library 
War  Service  Headquarter s at  Washington  reports  1,271,800  books 
shipped  to  39  large  camps  where  there  are  trained  librarians  and 
36  libra  ry  buildings;  184,000  books  to  211  small  military  camps, 
posts  and  stations;  129,300  books  to  111  naval  stations;  31,000 
books  to  111  vessels;  19,000  books  distributed  among  81  army  and 
navy  hospitals;  163,400  books  shipped  from  dispatch  offices  in 
Hoboken,  New  York  and  Newport  News  for  use  on  transports  and 
overseas. 

This  distribution  makes  a total  of  1,798,731  gift  books 
in  service  through  553  different  agencies.  In  addition  to  these, 
300,000  technical  books  have  been  purchased  and  are  in  use. 


A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D. C . 


Press  Bulletin 
May  25,  1918, 


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A-  - ' ' y MEN  IN  UNIFORM  ASK  FOR  NEW  FICTION. 


’’The  soldiers  persistently  ask  for  new  novels,  which  never 
seem  to  be  part  of  the  gift  shipments,"  writes  one  camp  librarian 
to  the  Library  War  Service  Headquarters  of  the  American  Library 
Association. 

"I  find  a special  need  among  the  patients  for  up-to-date 
reading  matter,"  writes  the  chaplain  of  a base  hospital.  And  from  a 
hospital  librarian  comes  an  appeal  for  new  fiction. 

In  the  three  million  books  given  by  the  American  people  for 
camp  library  use,  there  are  few  1918  novels.  It  is  true  that  old  books, 
like  old  friends,  are  always  welcome,  but  the  new  ones  are  wanted  too. 

With  vacation  days  at  hand,  many  people  will  be  buying  recent*:’ 
ly  published  novels  to  read  during  summer  hours  on  boats,  in  camp, or 
at  home. 


As  soon  as  these  novels  have  been  enjoyed  by  the  buyer,  it 
would  be  a kindness  to  pass  them  on  to  the  soldiers,  sailors  and 
marines  who  are  eager  for  "that  new  book  I saw  advertised".  Books 
taken  to  any  public  library  will  be  forwarded  promptly  to  camps  and 
T stations  where  they  are  needed. 


A.L.A.  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.C. 


-a- 


Press  Bulletin 
June  1,1918, 


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"KEEPING  OUR  FIGHTERS  FTT" 

NEW  BOOK  AEOUT  CAMP  ACTIVITIES 

The  " semi -military"  activities  of  camp  life  - the  classes, 
athletics,  music,  libraries,  theaters  in  which  all  military  men  share  - 
are  described  and  illustrated  in  a new  book,  ''Keeping  Our  Fighters  Fit- 
For  War  and  After,"  by  Edward  F,  Allen,  The  book  is  written  in  coopera- 
tion with  Raymond  B.Fosdick,  Chairman  cf  the  Commissions  on  Training 
Camp  Activities,  and  is  authorized  by  the  government. 

In  a special  statement  in  the  book  President  Wilson  says: 

"I  do  not  believe  it  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  no  army  ever 
before  assembled  has  had  more  conscientious  and  painstaking  thought 
given  to  the  protection  and  stimulation  of  its  mental,  moral  and  phys- 
ical manhood.  Every  endeavor  has  been  made  tc  surround  the  men.  both 
here  and  abroad,  with  the  kind  of  environment  which  a democracy  owes 
to  those  who  fight  in  its  behalf.  In  this  bock  the  Commissions  on 
Training  Camp  Activities  have  represented  the  government  and  the  gover- 
nment’s solicitude  that  the  moral  and  spiritual  resources  of  the  nation 
should  be  mobilized  behind  the  troops," 

One  chapter  is  devoted  to  "What  the  Men  Read  - and  Why,"  In 
this  a thorough  descr j pti  oniaiesgirven  of  the  work  of  the  Library  War 
Service  in  the  camp  libraries,  in  their  separate  buildings  and  in 
branches  throughout,  the  camps.  The  camp  library  is  described  as  a 
place  where  the  men  feel  at  home,  where  "they  can  get  a good  story,  a 
book  of  poetry,  or  any  bock  they  need.  Their  dependence  on  books  for 
study,  in  preparation  for  their  new  tasks,  and  for  current  events,  is 
mentioned.  A brief  account  is  given  cf  the  method  of  shipping  books 
overseas,  of  the  campaigns  that  have  made  Library  War  Service  possible, 
and  of  the  cooperation  of  the  A.L.A,  with  other  camp  organizations, 

This  book  will  be  of  interest  to  civilians  and  to  men  in  uni- 
form and  will  make  all  our  work  and  campaigns  for  camp  welfare  more 
intelligent. 


A.L.A,  Library  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.C. 


Press  Bulletin 
J une  1 , 1918 . 


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AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 
LIBRARY  WAR  SERVICL 


Headquar  t ers 
Wash:’. ngt  on,  D . C . 

Special  Inf ormati onal  Circular 

i 

June  8,1918. 

To  the  Camp  Librarians ; 

Arrangements  have  just  been  made  with  the  Y.M. C .A. , where- 
by Camp  Librarians  are  to  place  on  board  departing  troop  trains 
books  put'upin  boxes  similar  to  those  which  the  American  Library 
Association  is  now  using  in  its  overseas  service. 

The  Y.M.C.A.  sends  a representative  on  each  troop  train, and 
he  will  take  charge  of  the  A.L.A.  book  boxes  on  the  train,  open 
them  up,  and  arrange  for  their  reading  en  route.  Arrangements  will 
be  made  for  the  transportation  at  the  terminus,  and  delivery  to 
our  representatives  at  the  ports  of  embarkation. 

Informational  Circular  No.  12  will  contain  further  information 
and  a diagram,  showing  the  construction  of  these  book  boxes. 

Without  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Circule.r  12,  however,  the  foregoing 
information  should  be  in  your  hands,  to  meet  any  inquiries  from 
your  Camp  Y.M.C.A.  men. 

For  the  General  Director 
Joseph  L.  Wheeler, 

Assistant  to  the  Director, 


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A. L. A. LIBRARY  AT  QUARTERMASTER'S  CAMP. 


The  American  Library  Association  camp  library  at  the 
big  Quartermaster  Corps  camp,  Camp  Johnston,  Fla.,  is  like  a tech- 
nical college  reference  library  in  many  ways.  Its  collection  of 
books  supplies  not  only  the  fiction  which  men  need  for  recreation 
but,  first  of  all,  the  latest  information  on  the  industrial  and 
business  occupations  which  are  necessary  in  present  day  warfare. 
Its  staff  of  workers  must  be  equipped  to  supply  information  not 
only  to  the  thousands  of  students,  but  also  to  the  three  or  four 
hundred  instructors  getting  up  lectures,  organizing  courses,  and 
writing  and  publishing  text  books. 

There  are  from  twenty  to  thirty  schools  at  Camp 
Johnston,  in  which  are  taught  such  practical  subjects  as  ocean 
and  rail  transportati on,  reclamation,  baking,  accounting,  plumbing, 
boot  making,  cleaning  and  dyeing  of  textiles,  blacksmi thing,  con- 
crete work, canvas  work  and  tent  making. 

A glance  through  the  special  book  orders  received  from 
Camp  Johnston  at  A.L.A.  Library  War  Service  Headquarters  gives  a 
suggestion  of  some  of  the  intensive  work  the  library  is  doing  to 
supplement  class  work  in  camp.  Among  books  ordered  and  supplied 
are  MOTOR  TRANSPORTATION  IN  WAR;  METHOD  OP  FEEDING  TROOPS  IN  WAR; 
SECRETS  OF  BREAD  MAKING;  ELEMENTS  OF  ACCOUNTING:  TEXTBOOK  OF  MEAT 
HYGIENE;  LAUNDRY  INFORMATION  TEXTBOOKS;  HOTEL  MEAT  COOKING;  PATHO- 
LOGICAL HORSESHOEING;  PRACTICAL  BLACKSMI THING  and  other  books  spec- 
ially requested  by  instructors  in  the  blacksmi thing  and  remount 
schools;  100  sets  of  the  MANUAL  FOR  THE  U.  S,  QUARTERMASTER  CORPS, 
new  edition;  MILITARY  SKETCHING  AND  MAP  READING. 

That  the  library  at  Camp  Johnston?!  and  Lloyd  Josselyn 
camp  librarian,  are  "on  the  job"  is  proved  by  the  words  of  the 
Camp  Educational  Director:  "With  out '-’the  library  the  schools  could 
not  do  their  work  effectively  or  efficiently." 

Charles  R.  Green,  librarian  of  the  Massachusetts  Agri- 
culture College,  Amherst,  Mass,  has  recently  joined  the  staff  as  - 
special  technical  reference  librarian. 

A. L. A. Library  War  Service  Press  Bulletin 

Library  of  Congress  June  8,  1918. 

Washington,  D.C. 


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A-^/V  A.  L.  A.  BOOKS  FOR  EVERY  MAR  IN  CAMP . 

A valuable  service  of  the  American  Library  Association 
in  42  of  the  large  camps  and  stations,  lies  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  books  to  all  points  in  the  camps,  to  Y.M.C.A,  and  K. of  C. 
huts,  to  hospitals,  infirmaries,  barracks,  mess  halls,  fire  and 
military  police  stations.  One  camp  has  18  branch  libraries 
and  97  library  stations. 

In  these  camps  therejis  a central  library,  well  equip- 
ped with  5,000  to  30,000  books,  with  magazines  and  newspapers, 
comfortable  chairs  and  reading  tables,  reference  and  technical 
alcoves , 

To  this  central  library  come  the  men  who  are  accustom- 
ed to  use  public  and  college  libraries  for  study  and  recreation. 
They  are  the  ambitious  ones  who  know  they  need  books,  and  wrho 
want  them.  But  they  are  perhaps  the  minority  ip  a large  camp, 
where  there  is  a diversity  of  tastes  as  wide  as  that  among  men 
ip  a city. 

The  Camp  librarian  must  see  that  all  have  a chance  to  use 
A.  L.  A.  books.  Accordingly,  he  places  some  in  all  the  recrea- 
tional agencies  in  camp,  some  in  hospitals  and  infirmaries,  some 
in  the  mess  halls  and  barracks  - anywhere  that  men  have  leisure, 
n iCany  camp  libraries "barracks  libraries"  - boxes  of  fifty  books 
each  per  company  - are  placed  in  regiment  barracks,  and  exchanged 
frequently.  The  librarian  reports  "We  have  been  interested  to  ft 
find  that  one  of  the  most  valuable  things  about  these  traveling 
collections  is  that  they  get  the  men  to  read.  After  the  collec- 
tions have  been  in  a regiment  a month  or  six  weeks  we  notice  an 


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increase  in  the  use  of  the  main  collection  by  the  men  of  . that  reg- 
iment . " 

In  this  way,  many  men  who  have  not  been  readers  in  civilian 
life,  have  books  attractively  placed  before  them,  so  that  they  read 
for  recreation,  and  later,  for  information  too. 

The  military  police  stations  afford  an  interesting  example 
of  this  service.  At  isolated  edges  of  a camp,  perhaps  three  or  four 
miles  from  other  men,  a handful  of  men  are  stationed  for  a week  at 
a time,  on  guard  duty.  They  prepare  their  own  meals  and  care  for 
their  shacks,  do  some  gardening,  but  have  much  enforced  leisure. 

They  are  usually  men  who  previously  have  not  had  time  or  inclina- 
tion to  read.  The  books  delivered  to  them  weekly  by  the  A.  L.  A. 
library  truck  include  fiction,  books  on  scouting  and  military  pa» 
trob,  gardening,  cooking,  cavalry  rules  and  regulations-  because 
the  men  go  from  police  duty  to  cavalry  troops.  During  their  hours 
of  loneliness  and  leisure  the  men  learn  to  depend  on  books. 

After  the  war,  the  reading  habit"  throughout  the  country 
will  surely  show  results  of  this  generally  increasing  use  of  books 
by  men  in  camps. 

A.  L.  A.  Service 


Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.C. 


Press  Bulletin 

June  15,  1918. 


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RECENT  A.  L.  A.  LIBRARY  SERVICE  IN  THE  NAVY. 

June  10,  1918, 

At  the  Naval  Training  Station  at  Newport,..  R.  I.,  the  "House 
That  Jack  Built"  is  being  equipped  as  a regular  library,  by  the 
Training  Station  and  the  American  Library  Association  in  cooperation.. 
The  work  is  under  the  direct  supervision  of  LI*.  Edwin  "Wiley,  , librarian 
of  the  Naval  War  College,  This  building  will  hold  about  10,000  books. 

At  Pelham  Bay  Naval  Training  Stati on,  , Mi ss  Blanche  Galloway  is 
in  charge  of  the  library  work.  Further  developments  in  the  service 
at  this  point  are  expected  in  the  next  month  or  two. 

The  Mare  Island  Navy  Ybrd  will  have  an  Ai  LI  A.  librarian  with- 
in the  next  few  weeks.  Mr.  ViT,  Bv  Reese,  at  one  time  Post  Librarian  at 
Presidio,  in  San  Francisco,  will  be  in  charge.  A small  library  head- 
quarters building  has  been  authorized. 

Mr.  Paul  M.  Paine,  Librarian  at  Syracuse  Public  Library,  is 
organizing  the  library  work  in  the  Naval,  Marine  and  Military  sta- 
tions and  camps  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston.  He  will  have  general 
supervision  also  over  the  library  work  at  Paris  Island. 

At  Pdnsacola  Na’val  Station,  Mr.  F.  W.  Jenkins,  Librarian  cf 
the  Russell  Sage  Foundation,  New  York  City,  is  in  charge  of  the  li- 
brary. 

American  Library  Association 
Library  War  Service 
Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D".  Cr.' 


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LIBRARY  WAR  SERVICE 

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AT  THE  A.  L.  A.  CONFERENCE,  SARATOGA  SPRINGS,  N.Y.,  JULY  E-6* 

The  past  year  has  seen  the  reaching  out  of  library  service  to  all  points 
where  U.S.  men  in  uniform  are  in  service,  and  to  all  war  activities  under- 
taken by  the  government  and  by  civilians  * The  nation  is  occupied  wit/i  a new 
science  and  industry  - warfare*  The  accumulation  and  distribution  to  men  in  uniforr 
and  to  civilians  of  all  the  printed  facts  contributing  to  this  science  constitute 
the  new  and  most  important  service  of  the  ration v s libraries* 

At  the  fortieth  annual  conference  c£  the  American  Library  Association  at 
Saratoga  Springs,  N,Y»  July  i'-6,  reports  of  this  work  of  uhe  past  year  will 
be  presented,  and  plans  for  the  future  made* 

Library  war  service  in  the  army  and  navy,  in  the  U,3.  and  overseas,  and 
the  war  work  of  libraries  with  the  U.S*  Food  Administration  and  other  gov- 
ernment organizations  will  be  described* 

Seme  of  the  important  library  war  service  features  of  the  program  are  the 
report  of  Dr*  Herbert  Putnam,  librarian  of  Congress  and  general  director  of  the 
Library  War  Service;  a camp  library  symposium  conducted  by  Carl  F.  Milan, 
assistant  to  the  director;  an  address  by  William  Orr,  Educational  Director 
of  the  Y.I!*C*A.j  a report  by  Dr*  M.L.  Raney  of  the  overseas  work* 

Dr*  Putnam  will  describe  the  development  of  the  service  during  the  year, 
and  the  resources  and  equipment  now  assembled  and  giving  book  service  at  over 
600  distributing  points.  Librarians  and  assistants  from  41  large  camps  will 
oe  present  at  the  camp  library  symposium,  at  which  M.S.  Dudgeon,  formerly 
librarian  at  Great  Lakes  Training  Station,  now  field  representative  of  Head- 
quarters, will  discuss  "WHat  Hen  Read";  Miss  Miriam  E,  Carey,  supervising 


100  *A  .J  .A  3HT  TJl 


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hospital  librarian,  "'ll!  toll  cf  service  in  hospitals  and  Red  Cross  convales- 
cent houses;:  W.  H.  Brett,  in  charge  of  the  M.ewport  News  Dispatch  Office,  and 
A.  D.  Dickinson,  in  charge  cf  the  Hoboken  Dispatch  Office,  will  tell  hoiv 
300,000  becks  have  been  sent  overseas;  Joy  RsMorgan,  librarian  at  Carp  McArthur 
and  Frederick  Gocdell,  librarian  at  Carp  Wheeler,  will  describe  the  intensive 
rTork  in  the  large  carps  where  bocks  are  available  fer  ever/  ran;  Llcyd  VI. 
Jcsselyn,  librarian  at  Carp  Johnston  and  John  A«  Lowe,  librarian  at  Canp  Devens 
"’ill  tell  of  typical  days  in  carp;  Ad  an  Strchr,  librarian  at  Carp  Gordon,  will 
surra rize  the  ideals  and  accorplishrents  of  carp  library  service  and  lead  a 
discussion  cn  the  topic  "Is  It  Worth  While?" 

Discussions  will  fellow  all  the  talks,  and  round  tables  cf  carp  librarians 

I 

and  hospital  librarians  will  provide  opportunity  for  further  discussion  and 

plans « 

Other  features  on  the  pregrar  are  talks  by  Edith  Guerrier,  director  cf 
the  Li  'rary  Section  of  the  Food  Adrinistration;  a syrpcsiur  on  'That  Our  Li- 
brary is  Doing  to  Help  Win  the  War";  an  address  "What  Canadian  Librarians  are 
Doing  to  Help  Win  the  War"'  by  George  H.  Locke,  librarian,  Toronto  Public  Lir 

b ra  ry . 

A Conference  "Sing"  will  be  led  by  Chrystal  Brown,  Y.M.C.A,  Song  Leader, 

Cbrp  L'ee;  Carl  Sandburg  will  read  poors  cf  the  -nr;  "The  Sbirit  of  r:nr  Litera- 

May 

ture,  Poetry  and  Prose,"  -ill  be  discussed  by  Masses,  editor  of  The  Booklist, 
and  George  Bowerran,  librarian,  District  of  Columbia  Public  Library* 

Arthur  Bcstwick,  librarian, St . Louis,  Mo.  will  give  an  address  on  "The 
Future  of  Library  Work." 


A*  L.  A.  War  Service 
Li. rary  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.  C* 


Press  Bulletin. 
June  22,  1918» 


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JUL3  I 


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The 


SOLDIERS  IK  FRANCE  NEED  MORE  BOOKS 

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-Public?- Library  has  received  today  a request 


from  the  American  Library  Association's  Headquarters  in  Washington  for  more 
books  from  this  community  for  the  men  overseas. 

The  appeal  from  Washington  states  that  new  novels  ana  good  Western 
stories,  whether  new  or  old,  are  most  needed.  Books  by  Zane  Grey,  Rex  Beach, 
Jack  London,  Ralph  Connor,  Owen  Wister  and  0.  Henry  are  very  popular.  The 
Public  Library  announces  that  it  will  receive  and  forward  all  suitable  books 
that  are  turned  in.  It  urges  the  friends  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  many 
of  whom  have  already  responded  most  generously,  to  give  more  books. 

The  communication  received  by  the  Library  from  the  Washington  Head- 
quarters states  that  over  600,000  books  have  been  sent  overseas.  The  supply 

is  nearly  exhausted,  and  several  hundred  thousand  more  will  be  needed  soon  by 

the  six  dispatch  offices  which  are  now  shipping  books  to  France.  The  books 
are  packed  at  thess  dispatch  offices  in  strong  cases,  so  built  that  they  serve 
as  a bookcase. 

They  go  on  the  decks  of  transports,  in  cargo  vessels  and  in  naval 

vessels.  Those  that  go  on  the  decks  of  transports  are  open  so  that  the  men 

may  have  reading  matter  for  use  on  the  voyage.  All  these  books  are  gathered 
together  again,  however,  replaced  in  the  cases  and  delivered  to  the  proper 
officials  in  France. 

In  France,  the  books  are  distributed  by  an  experienced  Librarian, 

/ 

representing  the  American  Library  Association.  Most  of  them  go  to  Y.M.C.A./ 
Red  Cross  and  Salvation  Army  huts,  hospitals  and  canteens..  Others  go  direct 
to  chaplains  arid  officers. 

ooOoo 


A.L  ^ brary  War  Service, 
Lii  5»f  Congress, 

Bn,  D.  C. 

HU 


Press  Bulletin, 
July  24,  1918. 


AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 


Library  War  Service 


Headquarters 
The  Library  of  Congress 
Washington,  D.C. 


July  24,  1918 


To  the  Librarian: 


We  enclose  a press  bulletin  for  immediate  release  through 
your  local  newspapers.  It  is  ready  for  your  city  editors,  when  you 
have  filled  in  the  blank. 


As  you  will  see,  this  bulletin  tells  of  the  urgent  demand 
for  gift  books  for  overseas  shipments.  The  March  campaign  resulted 
in  collection  of  3,000,000  books,  but  more  are  needed. 


If  you  have  books  on  hand,  please  report  them  immediately 
to  your  State  Agency,  or  to  Headquarters.  In  any  case,  please  do- 
your  utmost  to  collect  more  books.  Ask  local  newspaper  and  magazine 
editors  not  only  for  space  for  your  appeal,  but  also  for  their  re- 
view copies  of  new  books.  Ask  local  booksellers  to  cooperate  in 
every  way  possible. 


Report  gifts  promptly  to  State  Agencies  or  to  Headquarters 
(in  accordance  with  previous  instructions).  Prepare  them  for  circu- 
lation if  possible  - no  shelf  cards  needed.  Shipping  instructions 
will  be  sent  you. 

Remember: 

♦ 

Our  men  overseas  need  more  books 
and  we  past  supply  them. 

/ 


Very  truly  yours. 


HERBERT  PUTNAM 


/ 


General  Director 


